Asphalt Cutting Attachment

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a new and improved asphalt cutter attachment for cutting asphalt surface of a roadway or the like, for example, for facilitating cutting an edge of a roadway or driveway for repairing and installing new asphalt. The attachment includes an elongated baseplate having a top and bottom surface, a plurality of angularly disposed cutting teeth positioned along said bottom surface, and an engagement plate including an engagement channel for receiving the lower edge of an earth moving bucket.

BACKGROUND

The present invention is directed to a new and improved asphalt cutterattachment for cutting asphalt surface of a roadway or the like, forexample, for facilitating cutting an edge of a roadway or driveway forrepairing and installing new asphalt.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a new andimproved cutter attachment for conventional earth moving equipment forcutting the surface of a roadway/driveway or the like. In accordancewith the present invention, the cutter attachment may be selectivelyused by simply inserting the cutter attachment as needed, for example,on a lower edge of a bucket of a payloader. The device can then be movedalong the bucket to facilitate easy maneuvering along edges and hard toreach areas of pavement.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improvedcutter attachment having a design which permits it to be readilyinstalled as needed on a lower edge of a blade or bucket of conventionalearth moving equipment.

It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide a new andimproved cutter attachment having a rugged and economical constructionand which utilizes replaceable cutter tips for ease of service.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improvedcutter attachment with cutting tips optimized angularly along alongitudinal plane for precise cutting and control.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawing ofillustrative embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of theinvention are apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the cutter attachment employing theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cutter attachment of FIG. 1 showing theangles of the cutter tips with respect to the horizontal plane of thecutter attachment;

FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 1 showing the angles of the cutter tipswith respect to the vertical plane of the cutter attachment;

FIG. 4 illustrates the cutting attachment opening for engagement to thebucket of an earth moving device;

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the cutting attachment engaged to thelower edge of the bucket of an earth moving device;

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom perspective view of FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 8 illustrates the position of the cutter attachment prior to itbeing engaged to the lower edge of the bucket of an earth moving device;

FIG. 9 illustrates the cutting attachment engaged to the lower leftposition of a bucket of an earth moving device to facilitate cutting ona roadway surface edge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, the same numerical references refer tosimilar elements. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materialsmentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures or described in thepresent description are preferred embodiments only, given forexemplification purposes only.

Referring to FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the present invention 100attached to the bucket 25 of an earth moving device. As illustrated inFIG. 9 , the cutter attachment 100 is utilized to create score lines 30in asphalt to create clean edges for either the addition of asphalt orthe removal of asphalt separated from a bigger piece. The attachment 100is made of a suitable steel with the various elements welded together asrequired to ensure the device maintains its structural integrity duringuse. The cutting teeth 22, holder base 22A, tip end 22B1, lip 22B3, andan elongated shaft end 22B2 are commercially available productsavailable from milling vendors such as the Caterpillar and Kennametalcompanies.

Referring to FIG. 1 , attachment 100 includes an elongated base plate 10having a top surface 10C, a front end 10B and rear end 10A. Disposedtowards front end 10B is an engagement plate 40 angularly orientedtransversely across baseplate 10, and includes push bar 15, supportplate 20, and support brace 17. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 push-bar15 extends across and beyond the edges of baseplate 10, the push barhaving a bottom surface 15C engaged with Top surface 10C of baseplate10. Support brace 17 engages support plate 20 and top surface 10C ofbaseplate 10 giving additional structural rigidity to engagement plate40.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 4 and 8 Support plate 20 extends at an angle awayfrom push bar 15 towards baseplate 10 rear end 10A and engages Push bar15 top surface 15D and baseplate top surface 10C creating an engagementchannel 18 to accept the bucket edge 25C. The engagement channel 18 canbe designed to provide more or less space depending on the angle ofsupport, plate 20 which would facilitate greater upward and downwardpitch of attachment 100 while engaged with bucket 25 edge 25C. Bylifting and angling bucket 25, based on the size engagement channel 18,different angles of attack for cutting teeth 22 may be realized.

Referring to FIG. 8 , bucket 25 edge 25C engages cutter attachment 100while the attachment 100 is stationary on the ground. As illustrated inFIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , the bucket 25 scoops up the attachment 100. Whenfully engaged push bar rear edge 15B contacts bucket edge 25C. Asillustrated in FIG. 5, 8 9 attachment 100 can be maneuvered along bucketedge 25C. When engaged with the bucket 25 moving forward push bar 15engagement with bucket edge 25C keeps the cutting teeth 22 on a straightpath and keeps the attachment 100 elongated base plate 10 perpendicularto bucket edge 25C.

Referring to FIG. 2 , a plurality of cutting teeth 22 are orientedlongitudinally along bottom surface 10D of baseplate 10. The cuttingteeth 22 are removable from holder base 22A and include a tip end 22B1,a lip 22B3, and an elongated shaft end 22B2. The cutting teeth 22 tipends 22B1 are 360 degrees rotatable while engaged within holder base22A.

In a preferred embodiment, to control weight and the size of the cutterattachment six cutting teeth oriented in positions A through F areillustrated. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the cutting teeth are orientedangularly to facilitate efficient cutting. In the preferred embodiment,the cutting teeth at Positions B through F can have along the horizontalaxis, a Pitch Angle between about 25 degrees to about 75 degrees, whilethe rear cutting tooth in Position A can have a pitch angle of about 75to about 90 degrees. The Position A tooth at a higher pitch anglefacilitates keeping the attachment 100 rear 10C aligned with theattachment 100 rear 10B during cutting operations. Although preferredangular positions of the cutting teeth are disclosed, other cuttingteeth angular orientations may be utilized by those skilled in the art.Furthermore, as described above, pitching the bucket 25 upward canfacilitate a deeper cut or score from the Position A tooth 22, ifdesired.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the Position A and F teeth are oriented at a 0degree yaw angle with respect to the vertical axis while Positions Bthrough E are staggered at a 22 degree yaw angle offset from each other.The offset can be variable with respect to Positions B through F anddictates the width of the resultant cut path. Positions A and F at 0degree yaw ensure that the center of the cut segment is adequatelyengaged and further allows for engagement of only the end teeth when thebucket 25 is angularly oriented. For example, using only the front mosttooth at position F would better facilitate the straightness of the cutwhile utilizing the rearmost tooth at position A would be more efficientfoe a radius type cut.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is onlyillustrative of the invention. Thus, various alternatives andmodifications can be devised by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variancesthat fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. An asphalt cutter attachment adapted to be mounted to theblade or bucket of a conventional earth moving vehicle, the buckethaving a lower edge, a top surface and a bottom surface, the bucketangularly adjustable, comprising: an elongated baseplate having a topand bottom surface, and a front and rear end; a plurality of angularlydisposed cutting teeth positioned along said bottom surface of saidelongated baseplate; an engagement plate disposed on said top surface ofsaid elongated baseplate, said engagement plate oriented transverselyalong said elongated baseplate, said engagement plate further includingan engagement channel for receiving the lower edge of the earth movingbucket.
 2. An asphalt cutter attachment as in claim 1 wherein saidengagement channel includes a push bar, said push bar in contact withthe lower edge of the earth moving bucket when said earth moving bucketfully engages said engagement channel.
 3. An asphalt cutter attachmentas in claim 2, wherein said engagement plate extends a width greaterthan said baseplate, and said push bar extends a width greater than saidengagement plate.
 4. An asphalt cutter attachment as in claim 1, whereinsaid engagement plate is angularly disposed on said front end of saidelongated baseplate, said engagement channel defined by the anglebetween said baseplate top surface and said engagement plate.
 5. Anasphalt cutter attachment as in claim 1, wherein said plurality ofangularly disposed cutting teeth comprise a removeable cutting tip. 6.An asphalt cutter attachment as in claim 1, wherein said plurality ofangularly disposed cutting teeth rotate 360 degrees.
 7. An asphaltcutter attachment as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of angularlydisposed cutting teeth includes an “F” positioned cutting tooth and an“A” positioned cutting tooth, said A positioned cutting tooth having apitch angle of about 75 to about 90 degrees, and said “F” and said “A”positioned cutting teeth having a yaw angle of about 0 degrees.
 8. Anasphalt cutter attachment as in claim 7, wherein said plurality ofangularly disposed cutting teeth include a “B”, “C”, “D”, and “F”positioned cutting teeth, said “B”, “C”, “D”, and “F” positioned cuttingteeth having a pitch angle of about 25 to about 75 degrees.
 9. Anasphalt cutter attachment as in claim 8, wherein said “B”, “C”, “D”, and“F” positioned cutting teeth, have a yaw angle of about 22 degrees,wherein said B″, “C”, “D”, and “F” positioned cutting teeth arestaggered.
 10. An asphalt cutter attachment as in claim 8, wherein saidB″, “C”, “D”, and “F” positioned cutting teeth are staggered, and areangularly offset to dictate the width of the resultant cut path.
 11. Anasphalt cutter attachment as in claim 2, wherein said elongatedbaseplate top surface engages said bucket bottom surface 25B when saidearth moving bucket fully engages said engagement channel.
 12. Anasphalt cutter attachment as in claim 11, wherein at least two of saidangularly disposed cutting teeth extend beyond said lower edge of theearth moving bucket when said earth moving bucket fully engages saidengagement channel.
 13. An asphalt cutter attachment as in claim 2,wherein said push bar pivots about said lower edge of said earth movingdevice bucket, said angular orientation of said cutter attachmentadjustable when said bucket is angularly positioned, said baseplate topsurface moving from a position between full and semi engagement withsaid bucket bottom surface.